How to Kill Worms on My Privacy Trees
When worms infest trees, they can eat away at the leaves, stripping the trees of their ability to offer privacy. Some types of worms burrow into the wood of the tree, creating structural damage. Along with worms, tiny caterpillars like the oak leaf roller, which many people mistake to be worms, can become a problem. In order to save your privacy trees, you may need to kill the worms and take preventive measures to stop recurrences. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Pesticide
- Natural enemies
- Stick
- Fire
- Soapy water
- Soil with parasitic nematodes
Instructions
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Hire a professional arborist to evaluate your privacy trees. A trained professional can identify the pest and prescribe a treatment plan. She can also help you determine the best way and time to apply the pest control product.
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Use a pesticide targeting worms. Some insects like ladybugs reduce the number of harmful insects, which is why pesticides target specific insect species. Molly Keck, an integrated pest management program specialist, recommends using products containing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) or carbaryl as active ingredients. These products work well to kill oak leaf rollers, also called canker worms, without harming other bugs.
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Introduce natural enemies to kill the worms. Wasps and birds act as natural pest control for worms. If you plan to use wasps, make sure no one living with you is allergic to them. To attract birds, you can spread bird seed around your trees.
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Remove visible egg sacks or larva. Some worms like tent worms create egg sacks when they reproduce. Use your hand or a stick to pull the egg sacks from the trees. You can smash the egg sacks or burn them to kill the worms and larva. Remove the sacks in the early morning or evening hours when mature worms are more likely to be inside the sacks.
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Control small infestations with soapy water. Placing worm nests in soapy water will kill the worms. Some gardeners spray soapy water on leaves, which ruins the worms' food without hurting the tree.
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Treat your grass with a pesticide to kill any worms falling from the trees or traveling to them. Some species of pests like wireworms use the grass to incubate larvae. If you have chickens, let them roam around your trees so they'll feed on larvae. Applying soil enriched with parasitic nematodes can also help destroy worms.
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Tips & Warnings
If you want to identify worms on your own, consult a field guide like "American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico" by R. H. Arnett.
